Northstar Vale Wondering Soldier

Walking through Green Zone and Ending up in Yellow Zone. Would like to meet someone from the pack.

---

Howl was venturing away from the pack today, not for any reason other then his urge to scout and look around. He wasn't officially a member of the Teaghlaigh pack yet and felt his venturing wouldn't be taken to heart. Traveling south east he had climbed the mountain encountering noone and had desended from it with the same effect.

When he reached the base of the mountain he could smell wolves, faded scents of them. It didn't seem as though there was a territory here, rather that a group spent alot of time here, possibly a frequented hunting area. He continued on through the clearing and past the shrubery. 

He passed through a small area of forest when the scents of wolves became more elivated, but still Howl couldn't smell any recent territory marking to tell others to leave. The sound of calm water came to his ear and he realized that he was slighly thirsty. His head was on a swivel knowing that wolves could be in the near by area but stayed to take a drink thinking that he was in no immediate danger with a pack.

Saena was healing well, but still Warbone's threat of a fight kept her from venturing beyond the edge of the vale. As badly as she wished to search for her remaining daughter, the first bitch knew she was needed here, and could not choose between Laurel, who despised her, and Warbone, who did not. Her loyalty was firstly with her children, but Warbone had not thrown her aside, and might father new children on her in time. It was an impossible decision that she mulled over as she walked, taking a break from the pack momentarily to take up a ritual Indra had started recently.

She'd climbed to the highest point in their present location, which happened to be an hour's trek back to where they'd recently came from, and loosed a long, low howl into the sky. Like all howls, the message was indistinct, but it served as a beacon pointing right to her. I'm here, it said, and it was a call for Laurel's ears. If her tan daughter was still in Larksong Grotto, there was no way she would be able to hear it, but if ever she roamed closer to the mountains, then just maybe, she would.

With that completed, Saena headed back, and along the way, spotted something—or rather, someone—that wasn't there before. Grumbling low in her throat as she bit back the ever-present apprehension of others in territory belonging to Duskvale, she cut a confident approach, held neutral-dominant, toward the lone male. A breeze carried the smell of others to her, and she paused, at once uncomfortable, but there were no wolves near Howl, and the scents were faint. More likely the mark of a pack upon him than the scent of comrades in the area. No matter.

She strode up to Howl the picture of informal authority and said, quietly, "hello?" in a tone that suggested she wanted to know what he was doing in the vale.

Behind him he heard a low grumble and he quickly lifted his head which turned towards the female. As the female stepped forward the remainder of Howls muscular body turned towards her. She came forward with a confident stance, but Howl couldn't see the level of her tail, or her tail at all for that matter. He assumed that it was simply out of view.

She greeted him but as more of a question then an actual greeting. He bowed his head and pulled back his ears as his tail hung low and he addressed the female. "Afternoon ma'am. Sorry if I'm intruding, I was aware of the presence of others but was unsure as to their level of claim over the terriory... My name is Howl." he looked up to the female as he finished speaking hopping that she wouldn;t simply kick him out.

Saena arched a brow as the man submitted and explained himself. The answer wasn't very fulfilling, but seeing as Howl wasn't near enough to cause too much concern, she saw no reason to correct him with actions. Nevertheless, Saena would never be a woman who did anything more than tolerate the presence of non-pack wolves in Duskvale, so there was no neutrality, either. She held herself with authority, alongside something that might pass for either poise or displeasure.

With a flex of her paws, the lead bitch took a step closer and told Howl, "you are on Duskvale land." She didn't share her name, maybe because it didn't matter too much—he could surely smell anything of value about her as easily as she could smell his age and affiliation with others. For once, she adopted Warbone's way in this.

"We don't mind you passing through," Saena informed the traveler, "so long as you respect us and our space. I can escort you if you need."

The females stance changed towards dominance as she stated that Howl was on Duckvale land. The name of the pack that resided here he prosumed. But even though her stance changed she stated that the pack was fine with those passing though as long as they didn't cause trouble. It was a bit strange Howl though, a pack unconserned with trespassers. But her stance showed that even though they allowed it they weren't onces to push over. He respected her authority and showed no signs of dominance. 

He wanted to see who was within this pack possibly because of his adventuras nature and parcially to see what this female was like. "I would love a tour if you would be willing to provide one."

Bold, this one. Saena's face was next to unreadable as she studied Howl. She had no idea where he came from or who the wolves he ran with were, but she had no reason to trust him, especially neck deep in her pack's territory. There was a faint hint of sap scent that wafted off him, but it didn't hold the heady quality of what she was accustomed to in the maple forest, and the most she could possibly discern was that he was a wolf of the forest.

But which forest, she couldn't begin to guess, and anyway, it wouldn't have made a difference. Her answer would still have been a firm, "no," even if Howl turned out to be the son of her best friend or something like that. "This isn't a showpiece territory." Pursing her lips in a display of her shortening temper, Saena flicked her muzzle toward the horizon and said, "I can escort you out or you can go around and find your own way, but that's it. Just because you can pass through unmolested doesn't mean you can hang around here."

Interesting Howl thought to himself. This pack was willing to have others pass through but not stay. The common solution for most packs would be to just have others go around, but not for this pack. Howl thought to take this into consideration for the future, but for now he had learned enough and was ready to take off. 

He looked over at the unnamed female and smiled, somewhat of a smirk from a light chuckle. He thought the curcomstances were cute in a way. "No need ma'am I'll be just fine on my own." he said as he turned around and began to trot back the way he had came. Then just before he was out of ear shot he said "I'll see you soon." then picked up his pace out of the terriotry unable to hear if the female did infact respond.

Saena watched him go, not missing his unwise decision to cop an attitude on her turf at the end. For that reason, she prowled after him, a quarter of a mile behind, until he was well beyond the pack's vicinity and posed them no further threat. She then turned about and headed back with her lips set in a firm and displeased line. Howl may have wanted to see her again, but it would be too soon if she saw him again in her lifetime, and she was unlikely to be as tolerant of him if he returned after that little display.